Ryo Fukui "Scenery" (1976)

Always one to be drawn in by the calming allure of Jazzy sophistication and lounge atmosphere, sadly I did not find a depth here beyond its smooth surfaces. Scenery is self taught Jazz pianist Ryo Fukui's debut, accompanied by ponderous bass guitar and drums, the trio only became appreciated by enthusiasts outside Japan years later.

 

The pleasantries of its soft, observational presence has a few strides of gusto, riling up energy with its thematic seasonal shifts. This is where percussionist Yoshinori Fukui shines, the intricate rolls and shuffles bustle with excitement. Yet in its dizzying sprints, Ryo Fukui comes off stiff and constrained as a soloist. His pacey piano strikes rotating notes with a mechanical lack of imagination for a listener to read between the lines. These particular leads played more like Heavy Metal guitar solos than Jazz.

In its less enthused drives the music melds into a comfortable rhythm, the slowest of tunes seeming to posses the most charm as the space between notes croons with smokey allure. Sadly though, I was looking for a spark I could not find. I've always been a sucker for Jazz, yet it seems only the most appraised of the genres works resonate deeply. I found myself with little to take away, despite enjoying my stay.

 

Rating: 5/10

The Alan Parsons Project "Tales Of Mystery And Imagination" (1976)

 

Having sat with this debut album for some time now, Its easy to see why I Robot, Pyr△mid & Eve were recommended as Alan Parsons best work. Tales Of Mystery And Imagination would of been impressive for the times but experienced from its predecessors shadows, the classy songwriting pulling on a broad range of 70s styles sadly fumbles out of the gates. Its hallowed poetry recital intro leading onto dated robotic voices feels a little awkward in its infancy however flashes of genius are heard often too, The Raven, The Cask Of Amontillado and To One In Paradise, all are fantastic songs. In fact much of the record has the Alan Parsons sound intact but its fumbling moments seem to exacerbate the difference between it and the following.

Where the cracks appear is on its lengthy The Fall Of The House Usher. Its five parts represent many ideas that Alan would go on to compose again. Stitched together as one unified thing, it lumps along awkwardly from tense and brash Classical orchestrations of terror and tragedy, into psychedelic thunderstorms led by hypnotic synths. The music passes through a string of Pink Floyd akin guitar inflections back into distressing string sections promoting unease and brittle tensions. It then sways back into a Progressive styling with exotic instruments and colorful melodic arrangements, only to be dissipated back into a nightmare cacophony of claustrophobic strings and demonic drum strikes that ends all too abruptly.

The two sounds contrast each other and break up half the record with a sense of confusion. It does however skimmer with brilliance but in attempting to meld such bold ideas, the consequences are vast. Tthe musics spell feels so disrupted by this rude awakening of hellish Classical instrumentation. It had become a large focus that diminished the album experience and illuminated its other blemishes. That being said, at the core Alan's brilliant songwriting delivers similar ideas heard later. They however have a less vibrant production to bolster the beautiful compositions and thus the whole record just feels inferior. Had I started here, my opinion may be all too different.

Rating: 6/10

Queen "A Day At The Races" (1976)

Proceeding from the sensational heights of Bohemian Rhapsody on counterpart record A Night At The Opera, British legends Queen return with a shaky response from critics at that time, forty three years ago. I find myself at odds with the criticism weighed upon the band. The former record came with peaks and valleys, songs that soared and delves into pantomime theatrics that dispelled the flow in places. A Day At The Races is a far more leveled and cohesive record where the bands eclecticism sticks like glue without a week spot. The problem is however that not a lot here is that remarkable in comparison. The Millionaire Waltz may be its only soaring moment as playful theater musical jollity collides with riveting Heavy Metal licks at weighty chords that culminate in a mid song eruption of electricity... Only Queen could do this.

Starting to develop a better understand of the band, one can hear creaking similarities and writing crutches in the music. Roger Taylor seems to have an uncanny knack of mustering a distinct persona with his song Drowse, perhaps the vocals give it away but then again this is a band of four song writers and given at least a song each it is no surprise these thumbprints arise. Writing these words I can see how these perspectives can be leveraged against the record but It plays so smoothly.

Rolling from one song to the next it ebbs and flows, Brian May's guitar electrifying when timeless Freddie is absent. These spurts of textural heavy guitar tone erupt, filling key parts of the music with true imagination throughout its run time. The intro has a particular glorious use of tape reversed guitar lead to create a suspenseful opening to the record. It is heard again as the record closes on Teo Torriatte, a song half sung in Japanese that peaks with moving group chorals as it reaches its end. A really firm record that flows far better than anything before it but perhaps suffering from to little of their peak magics yet the songwriting is fantastic at uniting style as you'd expect.

Favorite Tracks: Tie Your Mother Down, The Millionaire Waltz, Good Old-Fashioned Lover Boy, Drowse

Rating: 7/10

Jean Michel Jarre "Oxygene" (1976)

Early synthesizer music has always fascinated me, the likes of Kraftwerk and Tangerine Dream have been a pleasure for years so its always a delight to stumble onto some of these old records where electronic music sounded vastly different from today. Retro synth tones and soundscape ideals, an embracing of ambience and the imagination make these records starkly different from what else was available at the time, Its a true fascination to hear these early artists and their emerging visions. French composer Jean Michel Jarre certainly had a finger on the pulse and this forty minute classic is a delightful work that still holds up well to this day.

Its six songs flow like a river. The whirl of layered looped synth cycles buzz out entrancing and repetitive indulgences that subtly expand and contract as its various elements slowly shift over the songs. The droning constructs give way to lead tones that play out like a guitar solo on a couple of particularly engaging passageways. Its percussive edge is varied from track to track. A range of synthesized emulations, hi hats, kicks and snares, sit softly in the background holding tempo and for large parts of the record drops down to a construct of two or three hits as it ebbs and flows into its different degrees of intensity, complimenting the mood and tone of his synths.

What sticks out like a soar thumb but certainly works is its use of rampant, rolling laser zap sounds and other "gimmicky" synthesized noises that are hashed in. The chirps of birds, calls of dolphins and husky whispering electronic waves wash into the music with a firm boldness that add to the atmosphere despite being clunky in nature. Its the underlying melodies that rise up from a repetitive foundation that make the music transformative, giving it sparks. Within the lure of chilled out, indulgent atmospheres, mysterious, new age synth tones played with curiosity, always emerges a lead instrument, sometime two in tandem, to follow and make sense of the scenic sounds.

Its a marvelous listening experience that visits six distinct chapters, of which four was immediately recognizable. It dives straight into a memorable lead melody that was very familiar. I couldn't find any movie soundtracks I suspected I might know it from but it did feature in the GTA IV soundtrack so perhaps that is where the familiarity extends from. All in all its just a fantastic gem of a record that any lover of electronic, retro or ambient music should take the time to check it. Its entrancing, indulging and full of vivid imagination birthed through sound.

Favorite Track: Part IV, Part V

Rating: 8/10

David Bowie "ChangesOneBowie" (1976)

On my musical journey Bowie had always been a destination Id planned on visiting but given his recent and unfortunate demise it prompted to pick up some of his records, something about the cover and name of this one made me feel like this is where I wanted to start. The months rolled by and with every passing listen familiarity crept in but no true understanding of his acclaimed genius became apparent. Its not often I listen to Glam and Folk Rock, it made me release the nuances of music your accustom to makes it much easier to digest and understand. In recent weeks though many of these songs have really got into my head and I find myself singing along, which is a great sign. One thing that became swiftly apparent was a lack of concept, direction or theme, the inclusion of a live performance a little odd but the records flow stylistically shifts from an arty tone to Glam Rock with slight Country tinges on some songs. It hit me like a slap in the face when I looked it up online, its a greatest hits or compilation released in the midst of his acclaimed peak, the seventies.

So now I'm familiar with this selection of his songs but I more often prefer the album experience to understand the music and I don't have to many musings on this record either. With it not being what I'm used to its hard to find the words to express. One song that really stuck a chord with me was "Changes" with its lyric "Time may change me but I can't change time"... Deep and profound it gave me much to ponder over but then I thought "Ive heard this before!" and it hit me. Fred Durst of Limp Bizkit lifts the line on a track adding a "So fuck it" to the end of Bowie's introspective statement. My teenage self never found any meaning in Fred's butchering of the sentiment, or maybe I was to young to understand it.

To comment on a few other tracks, "Space Oddity" has quite the emotional progression as fictional astronaut "Major Tom" makes his way to the moon, slow, brooding and fragile strings build a subtle tension that blossoms into a moment of wonder with a shift of pace and inclusion of a flute lead, Bowie singing about sitting in a tin can. The guitar then brings a momentary groove to the track before enigmatic strings snap us back to the setting. Its scenic and quite the narrative song with a lot of charm. "Suffragette City" packs a punch with overdriven guitar riffs making quite the racket and jiving piano chords being played with force. Its fast, upbeat and climaxed by a tonal guitar solo in the middle of the track. I really enjoyed this and will continue to listen to more of Bowie's record. Next time it wont be a compilation.

Rating: 8/10

Return To Forever "Romantic Warrior" (1976)

Having browsed my way to a collection of "Jazz Classics" with new names and thematic album titles I unknowingly stumbled into the later era of the sound, known as "Jazz Fusion", a more "accessible" style with strong rock influences and funk groove. Of all the new records to discover this one quickly grabbed my attention with its opener "Medieval Overture", jiving keys, adventurous drums and riff based guitar work instantly clicked with a Progressive Rock vibe as the song shifted and swayed through musical ideas in a typically Progressive style. Although listed as a Jazz Fusion record, my familiarity with Prog Rock had me listening from that perspective and at many times simply sounds like a Prog record with Jazz influenced instruments and tones. Either way it captivated my attention, and I'm keen to retrospect on this record as I listen to more Jazz Fusion.

The albums cover art and opening track make no secret of the albums theme, however the music wouldn't distinctly strike one as Medieval. The music is bright, playful and uplifting. It very much romanticizes the era in its own vision, rather than a recreational sound or atmosphere. It also has a slightly alien, unknowing, mysterious sound with some of the keyboard leads used on occasion. The finer details of theme are irrelevant though, the music is captivating and has little to prove.

The records clarity and warm sound are an indulgence, an impressive, balanced production that lends to the freedom of the progressive music that dances and weaves its way through connecting passageways and reoccurring themes that climax with soft atmospheric piano led breaks and blazing Prog Rock solos in the faster paced moments. Its an excitement, a theatric performance of evolving music that all instruments contribute too. The drums shuffle, roll and groove in a free flowing unraveling of complimenting force. The bass rocks a steady mood, occasional grooving into the forefront with some funk and the keys are a delight, bright layered sounds that sparkle and glisten with the synths underneath. The guitars rock subtler grooves with a tone fit for ripping leads and crafted, subtle riffs, theres also some beautiful Spanish guitar tones thrown in the mix aswell.

As I think through the instruments it only occurs to me now the instrumental nature of the record. With so much energetic and colorful music jamming away it barely gave me a second to think about the absence of a vocal presence, which was never needed. The music says so much, it paints a canvas with colorful renditions in the mind. Great record, has to be said the last two tracks hold it back as they dull the mood from the energy of the first four. Either way I loved it and looking forward to more Jazz Fusion on my playlist.

Favorite Songs: Medieval Overture, The Romantic Warrior, Majestic Dance

Rating: 7/10